Quarter pony
Encyclopedia
The Quarter pony is a breed
of pony
that is similar to the American Quarter Horse
. It stands up to high and was developed from American Quarter Horse foundation bloodstock
and is used today in a variety of western riding
disciplines.
built on a smaller scale. Breeders focus most on the height and conformation of the breed, and insist that their ponies display Quarter Horse-type characteristics and stand high. Depending on the registry, the Quarter pony may come in any color or combination or colors, including pinto
patterns such as tobiano
and overo
and spotted Appaloosa
patterns. In the early years of the breed, only solid colors were allowed. The breed averages high, however, some breeders are working to breed taller animals between high. The breed has a short, broad head with small ears and wide-set eyes, set on a slightly arched neck. The shoulders are sloping, the withers sharp, the chest broad and deep. The back is short and the hindquarters broad and deep.
Quarter ponies are often used in western riding
activities as mounts for children because of their small size, and calm, even temperament. Larger ponies are more suitable for adult riders and sometimes used for rodeo
events such as steer wrestling
.
The Quarter pony is recognized by several different breed registries
that each have different requirements. The American Quarter Pony Association requires that, although parentage may be unknown, the pony must have conformation that is desirable for breeding and be easily recognizable as having Quarter pony or Quarter Horse breeding. Pinto, Appaloosa and white
horses are not eligible for registration, nor are gaited
ponies. The National Quarter Pony Association requires that stallion
s be registered with the AQHA before they can be registered with the NQPA. Mare
s must have one parent registered with the AQHA, be registered with the AQHA themselves, or go through a special registration process. Gelding
s simply have to be of Quarter horse type to be eligible for registration. Horses with pinto or Appaloosa markings, or with excessive white, are not eligible for registration. The International Quarter Pony Association allows pinto and Appaloosa markings, and simply requires that ponies be of Quarter-type conformation and good disposition for registry. Any type of pony meeting these requirements may be registered through the hardship registration program, which includes a special inspection. However, if ponies have a parent registered with an approved breed registry (approved breeds include the Quarter pony, Quarter Horse, Paint horse, Appaloosa
and Pony of the Americas
), they are automatically eligible for registration, with no inspection required. Crosses with gaited breeds
are not accepted for registration.
's original height requirement of high. This height requirement was later removed, but the Quarter pony breed continued. Breeders and registries encourage known bloodlines from Quarter Horses, but these are not required by all registries.
The American Quarter Pony Association was begun in 1964 with the ideals of a registry which would register small horses and ponies of western type
, whose breeding could be unknown but which were desirable for breeding purposes. Crossbred and purebred
animals are eligible for registration, as are animals registered with other registries that meet the entry requirements. In 1975, the National Quarter Pony Association was begun to preserve the smaller, stockier type Quarter Horse when breeding trends were leaning towards taller, leaner animals. The AQPA now registers horses in several foreign countries, as well as all US states and Canadian provinces. The International Quarter Pony Association, begun in the 1970s, also registers Quarter ponies, and is a worldwide association for ponies of Quarter horse type. The Quarter Pony Association is an association affiliated with the International Quarter Pony Association, with the goal of promoting the Quarter pony. In 2005, the IQPA and the QPA became one organization, with the IQPA acting as the registry and the QPA as the membership branch. As of 2005, there were an estimated 3,000 Quarter ponies registered with all registering organizations. Registries say that registrations of adult animals outnumber those for foals every year, as many owners wait until the pony is old enough to be shown under saddle before registering them.
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...
of pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
that is similar to the American Quarter Horse
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
. It stands up to high and was developed from American Quarter Horse foundation bloodstock
Foundation bloodstock
Foundation bloodstock or foundation stock are horses that are the progenitor, or foundation, of a new horse breed or a given bloodline within a breed. The term is also used in a similar manner when discussing purebred dogs...
and is used today in a variety of western riding
Western riding
Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved from the ranching and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West...
disciplines.
Characteristics
The Quarter pony is bred to be an American Quarter HorseAmerican Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
built on a smaller scale. Breeders focus most on the height and conformation of the breed, and insist that their ponies display Quarter Horse-type characteristics and stand high. Depending on the registry, the Quarter pony may come in any color or combination or colors, including pinto
Pinto
-General:*Conspiracy of the Pintos, a rebellion against Portuguese rule in Goa, India in 1787*Ford Pinto , a subcompact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market...
patterns such as tobiano
Tobiano
Tobiano is a spotted color pattern commonly seen in Pinto horses, produced by a dominant gene. The tobiano gene produces white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat color. The coloration is present from birth and does not change throughout the horse's lifetime, unless the horse also carries...
and overo
Overo
Overo refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings in horses, and is a term used by the American Paint Horse Association to classify a set of pinto patterns that are not Tobiano...
and spotted Appaloosa
Appaloosa
The Appaloosa is a horse breed best known for its colorful leopard-spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's color pattern is genetically the result of various spotting...
patterns. In the early years of the breed, only solid colors were allowed. The breed averages high, however, some breeders are working to breed taller animals between high. The breed has a short, broad head with small ears and wide-set eyes, set on a slightly arched neck. The shoulders are sloping, the withers sharp, the chest broad and deep. The back is short and the hindquarters broad and deep.
Quarter ponies are often used in western riding
Western riding
Western riding is a style of horseback riding which evolved from the ranching and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West...
activities as mounts for children because of their small size, and calm, even temperament. Larger ponies are more suitable for adult riders and sometimes used for rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
events such as steer wrestling
Steer wrestling
Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is a rodeo event in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, then wrestles the steer to the ground by twisting its horns. Like all rodeo events, there are concerns from the animal rights community that the competition...
.
The Quarter pony is recognized by several different breed registries
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
that each have different requirements. The American Quarter Pony Association requires that, although parentage may be unknown, the pony must have conformation that is desirable for breeding and be easily recognizable as having Quarter pony or Quarter Horse breeding. Pinto, Appaloosa and white
White (horse)
White horses are born white and stay white throughout their life. White horses may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant white genes, are rare...
horses are not eligible for registration, nor are gaited
Ambling
The term amble or ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. All are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter or gallop...
ponies. The National Quarter Pony Association requires that stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s be registered with the AQHA before they can be registered with the NQPA. Mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s must have one parent registered with the AQHA, be registered with the AQHA themselves, or go through a special registration process. Gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
s simply have to be of Quarter horse type to be eligible for registration. Horses with pinto or Appaloosa markings, or with excessive white, are not eligible for registration. The International Quarter Pony Association allows pinto and Appaloosa markings, and simply requires that ponies be of Quarter-type conformation and good disposition for registry. Any type of pony meeting these requirements may be registered through the hardship registration program, which includes a special inspection. However, if ponies have a parent registered with an approved breed registry (approved breeds include the Quarter pony, Quarter Horse, Paint horse, Appaloosa
Appaloosa
The Appaloosa is a horse breed best known for its colorful leopard-spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's color pattern is genetically the result of various spotting...
and Pony of the Americas
Pony of the Americas
The Pony of the Americas, or the POA, was developed to be a children’s pony. The breed’s origins are in America, where an Iowa breeder accidentally crossed a Shetland stallion with an Arabian/Appaloosa mare to produce a pony-sized mount with leopard complex spotting.-Breed Characteristics:The POA...
), they are automatically eligible for registration, with no inspection required. Crosses with gaited breeds
Gaited horse
Gaited horses are horse breeds that have natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth to ride, intermediate speed four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ambling gaits....
are not accepted for registration.
History
The Quarter pony was originally developed from horses that did not meet the American Quarter Horse AssociationAmerican Quarter Horse Association
The American Quarter Horse Association , based in Amarillo, Texas, is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The association sanctions many competitive events and maintains the official registry...
's original height requirement of high. This height requirement was later removed, but the Quarter pony breed continued. Breeders and registries encourage known bloodlines from Quarter Horses, but these are not required by all registries.
The American Quarter Pony Association was begun in 1964 with the ideals of a registry which would register small horses and ponies of western type
Stock horse
A Stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. Such horses are riding horsescharacterized by agility, quickness, and powerful hindquarters...
, whose breeding could be unknown but which were desirable for breeding purposes. Crossbred and purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
animals are eligible for registration, as are animals registered with other registries that meet the entry requirements. In 1975, the National Quarter Pony Association was begun to preserve the smaller, stockier type Quarter Horse when breeding trends were leaning towards taller, leaner animals. The AQPA now registers horses in several foreign countries, as well as all US states and Canadian provinces. The International Quarter Pony Association, begun in the 1970s, also registers Quarter ponies, and is a worldwide association for ponies of Quarter horse type. The Quarter Pony Association is an association affiliated with the International Quarter Pony Association, with the goal of promoting the Quarter pony. In 2005, the IQPA and the QPA became one organization, with the IQPA acting as the registry and the QPA as the membership branch. As of 2005, there were an estimated 3,000 Quarter ponies registered with all registering organizations. Registries say that registrations of adult animals outnumber those for foals every year, as many owners wait until the pony is old enough to be shown under saddle before registering them.